Into Open Air
by squidzilla
Summary: "...As an imprudent idea whizzed through her mind, she could almost hear King Peter and Queen Susan chastising her thoughts. And it was for that very reason the idea was so appealing. A roguish grin crawled across her face, for she was never much of a listener..." One-shot. EdmundxOC


Hello everyone! Here's my first attempt at writing a fic. It's pretty obvious, I know. This "one-shot" is actually a chapter of the fic I'm working on. I figured I would post this first and test the waters a bit. I thought this was an original idea, so if someone else has something similar I PROMISE I didn't mean any harm by it. Any thoughts/suggestions are more than welcome!

Disclaimer: I do not own Narnia, or Edmund, or anything else related to C.S. Lewis' works.

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Lora sat on an undersized cliff overlooking the Great Eastern Sea. It was amazing to her how the coast changed so rapidly along the walk from the castle to her newest hideaway. At the great Cair Paravel, the rocks were jagged as they rose from the ocean. Below the sand was as soft as the silk dresses the Queens wore on special occasions. And where she sat, the rough trees overlooked the horizon, proud and tall.

She was staring intently at the horizon, smelling the salty breeze. Daydreaming was something the girl did often, even though she could hardly sit still long enough. Since her arrival in Narnia almost two months ago, she didn't feel the withdrawals that she would normally endure at home if she didn't have time to let her mind wander. Here, everything felt different. She never was in one place for a prolonged period, and her soul was grabbing at every opportunity to absorb everything in front of her. This land was filled with adventure and excitement and a liveliness she only read about in her treasured fairy tales. She barely realized the lack of reveries, and paid no mind to it.

She quickly snapped out of it and blinked repeatedly. As an imprudent idea whizzed through her mind, she could almost hear King Peter and Queen Susan chastising her thoughts. And it was for that very reason the idea was so appealing. A roguish grin crawled across her face, for she was never much of a listener.

She leaned forward and peered over the edge. She giggled to herself at the idea – she had climbed larger cliffs than this at home! This pint-sized hill was no match for the wild within her. The girl stood up and looked around to see if anyone had discovered her. She almost jumped out of her skin when a dark pair of eyes caught her.

Edmund laughed at Lora as a playful scowl crossed her features. "I didn't expect you to be out here, of all places."

"And I didn't expect anyone to be out here, let alone someone sneaking up on me like that!" Lora laughed and turned around to face the water.

"I didn't sneak, you just weren't listening well." Edmund came to her side, studying the look in her eyes. "Alright, what did you do? You look guilty."

The blonde eyed the brunet with a raised eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?" Lora would never, _ever_, admit to being caught. Especially not to Edmund.

"Your eyes are more mischievous than normal," said the latter. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing." She turned to face the young King with a devilish smile and crossed arms. "Why? Are you concerned?"

"Well, no not really, but –"

"Then are you scared?"

"I most certainly am not! What are you –"

"Do you trust me?"

"What kind of question is that? Lora what in Aslan's name are… you… doing?"

Lora had crept away while Edmund was talking to hide behind a nearby tree. There, she quickly slipped out of her dress which only left her shift exposed. She poked her head around the tree and laughed at a flabbergasted Edmund, and she couldn't help but notice the white around his eyes. Before he could get another word out to question her sanity, she darted from behind the tree and sprinted past him. One great leap and she was flying out of the forest and into the open air.

She could hear Edmund yell above her as she flew to the water. A different kind of scream burst through her smile as the wind rushed through her hair. Oh what a feeling! What a magnificent and terrifying rush this was. The wind chased her down the side of the cliff as she shrieked like a child.

So exhilarating, so natural, so free!

She splashed into the deep blue water and resurfaced soon after, gasping for air. She turned on her back and floated for a minute as her adrenaline rush started to wane. Opening her eyes, she saw Edmund's face peeking over the edge. She could see his mouth moving angrily, but she didn't care. She didn't do that for him.

As she climbed back up to where he was perched, she was greeted by a pair of crossed arms and a stern face. She smiled like a child on Christmas morning and wrung out her hair. "What?"

"What do you mean 'what'? You are crazy! Why in the world would you jump off a blasted cliff? Have you no common sense? What if something happened? What if–"

"Nothing happened, _your Highness_. Relax."

"I know nothing happened, but –"

" – But what?"

He paused for a few seconds. A muffled growl sat in his throat as he uncrossed his arms and rubbed his temples. Lora stood silently, waiting for the veins to burst on his forehead. Suddenly his eyes snapped open; the same eyes that were filled with concern and angst a mere minute ago were now boiling with _trouble_. It was very brief, as he turned and walked away before she could say anything.

The blonde sighed and turned back to the ocean. Her rush was now gone, and she was starting to long for the thrill of another flight. She laughed to herself and whispered "_what a baby_" before rolling and cracking her neck from side to side. She started to take a few steps back when she bumped into something.

Edmund was behind her, wearing far less clothing than before. He stood with his chest puffed out, ready to be just as careless. "I am _not_ a baby."

Lora rolled her eyes at the sight in front of her. "Of course, Edmund."

"That's _King_ Edmund to you." He tried to flex his still-crossed arms in the hopes of squeezing out some masculinity and seriousness, but the brunet could not keep a straight face.

The two of them smiled at each other quickly before stepping back from the ledge. In the most challenging tone of voice she could muster, Lora asked "On the count of three, then?"

His eyes narrowed as he tried to fight a smile. "One…"

She slightly crouched and shifted her weight to the balls of her feet. "… Two…"

Dark and light eyes locked before the final count.

"…Three!" Both of them shouted in childlike harmony as they raced to the drop-off.

The pair tumbled through the air, shouting and laughing the entire way down. Lora saw a young boy surface in Edmund's face; one that seemed to be in hiding for too long. His messy hair was whipping in the wind. He had a wide toothy smile, and his normally moody eyes were now exuberant, dancing the entire fall. This side of Edmund had been cramped up for far too long, hiding behind civil duties and guilt and royal obligations. This side of Edmund needed to be set loose every now and again, stretching from its confinement. The foolish young boy he never had a chance to be, was finally free.


End file.
